With the indications for r > 0.1 by BICEP2, there have been discussions on whether all small-field models of inflation can be ruled out due to the Lyth bound, or if the Lyth bound can be evaded by specific choices of the inflaton potential. We show that in single-field slow-roll inflation, it is impossible to reconcile r > 0.1 with field excursions \Delta \phi << M_pl, independently of the form of the potential. We also briefly discuss how this bound can be generalized to multi-field slow-roll models, and mention two ways in which multi-field models can dodge this bound.